A Potion's Dilemma
by worrywart
Summary: My entry for Round 7 of the QLFC competition. Severus has completed the calculations to brew a synthesised version of the Elixir of Life. This potion promises the stuff of dreams; an incredibly long life. The dilemma is, will he?


**This is my submission for the QLFC Round 7. This week we all had to write about potions. Mine assignment was the Elixir of Life, and I chose the setting Hermione gave a cursory knock on the door that led to Severus' office. The couple had worked for the Ministry for years now, and as their work was complementary—she in the Charms Division, he in Research and Development for potions—they often consulted one another.**

 **A very belated thank you to Mellifluous Aria who is acting as my beta for this competition! She is so busy with school, yet is taking the time to look things over for me. Thank you, dear!**

* * *

"Severus, I was wondering if," she stopped speaking at sight before her. "What is it, what has happened?"

"I've done it," he answered, a bemused look upon his face.

"Done what?"

"The Elixir."

Hermione knew exactly what he meant. "No! How? When?" she asked, hurrying over to his side.

"Just now. The calculations are perfect; it will work."

"Without the stone?"

"Without the stone," he affirmed.

"Oh, Severus!" cried Hermione, eyes sparkling. "You've worked years on this."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "I have, and it's done."

Something in the way he spoke was off, however. "Why do I get the sense you're not as happy as you should be?"

"You know me too well, little witch," he said, kissing her temple. "To be honest, I am unsure how I feel."

"How so?"

"The potential this elixir represents is unimaginable. Just think about being able to live forever; to see your children's great, great, great grandchildren. To see the world change and grow."

"Or conversely, to see the world collapse at the rate it's going," scoffed Hermione.

"Ever the optimist, love," Severus chuckled.

Hermione giggled, and the pair were quiet for a moment. "Severus, what did you imagine you would do with it? Surely you had something in mind when you began to attempt to synthesise the Elixir of Life."

Sighing, Severus stood and paced his office, stopping by a window. "To be honest, I only saw it as a challenge at first. You know me; a potion is good, but how can I make it better? I have always tinkered with the ones that 'can't be made any other way'. But then…the Elixir of Life prolongs life, sustains it for years and years with slowed aging processes, improved mental acuity. Why not use it to see if we couldn't save lives? Can you imagine what a cancer patient might think, knowing they would be able to live long enough to be cured? Wouldn't you or other Muggleborns want to see your parents live long enough to be cured of Alzheimer's or Dementia? Longbottom's parents cured of their insanity? What parent wouldn't want to see their children hold on to life long enough to—" Severus choked and stopped talking, taking in a ragged breath.

Hermione went to him. "I miss her too, Severus, and I would have given everything to have her whole and healthy, but how long would she have suffered while we looked for the cure? How long would _any_ person have to suffer while we searched for a cure? I love my parents, but I wouldn't want to see them stagnate and suffer at a particular stage of disease while we wait for a cure."

Severus turned and looked at his wife. "I never thought that love would hurt this much," he whispered.

Hermione gathered him to her and held him tightly. "Love does hurt," she replied, rubbing his back. "But love is also wonderful and forgiving in time." The silence stood between them. "Look, we still have a couple hours before we can leave for the day; why don't I run to the cafeteria and get some tea? We can look through your calculations and discuss when you might brew it." She looked up at her husband. "Or we can just sit and do nothing."

Severus only nodded in agreement and let Hermione go. He watched her leave and then turned back to the charmed window, watching raindrops splatter upon it. Since the windows reflected the actual weather above ground, he wondered if the little grave marker in the cemetery so far away was getting wet.

* * *

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked as the pair sat next to each other on the love seat she had conjured.

"I am now," Severus answered, kissing her temple. "There are still moments where it overwhelms me."

"Me, too." A moment passed and then she asked about the potion. "So, if you're sure of your calculations, when do you think you'll brew it?"

Severus set his empty cup on the table in front of him and nestled Hermione closer to him. "I don't know. I don't know that I even should."

"You wouldn't want to see if it works?"

"I know it will work, I just don't know that I want the temptation of using it. I'm also not sure I want anyone to know it's possible."

"The Elixir of Life is like The Fountain of Youth," Hermione mused. "So many people have searched and are searching for it, and for all the wrong reasons."

"And in the Wizarding world," Severus muttered, "it was, for a time, part of a war. It was wanted by a man whose sense of justice was just a ruse for revenge for all the wrong reasons." He stood up and retrieved the sheaf of parchments with his notes and then sat again next to Hermione. "This is the culmination of three years' work. With a simple toss into the fire, it would be gone. One well-placed Obliviate, and I wouldn't even remember the recipe or calculations."

"Would you want to be Obliviated, Severus?" Hermione asked.

"Of course not."

"Do you intend to brew it? Ever?"

"I've thought long and hard about whether or not to brew it, but no. Not even to see if it works on a rat. However, I can't let this knowledge become public, or even in secret through the Ministry."

"The temptation _is_ beguiling. Think of living forever, Severus, of slowly growing old together. Then that raises the question, if we lived forever, why not our children and their children and so on? I agree; you can't brew this. Please don't."

Severus took his wife into his arms. "No, I won't. I promise. However, we need to decide what to do with the formula."

Hermione thought a moment. "Burn it. And then we'll take a wand oath to never recreate it or speak of it upon pain of death or something."

"Agreed." Severus stood. "Help me do this. Without you, I may just change my mind."

Together the pair went to the fireplace. Severus held all of his notes in one hand while Hermione wrapped her own around his. As if in a dream, Severus watched as their arms moved toward the flames, and he dropped the parchments.

The fire grew momentarily, causing the couple to stand back from the sudden, overwhelming heat. Turning to look at each other, they drew their wands and made a simple yet binding oath.

Hermione looked at her watch. "C'mon, love; it's close enough to five that we can leave for the day. Shall we stop for some take away on the way home?"

"Yes, but no pizza. I've eaten enough of that rot to turn into giant pepperoni."

Hermione laughed. "Nah, I was thinking of good old fish and chips with mushy peas, actually." Severus smiled. "Come along," she urged, but Severus stopped her.

"Hermione," he asked carefully, "do you think we could try for another baby?"

Hermione's face took on a saucy smirk, and she reached out to cup Severus' groin. "There's no need to try, Severus; your 'Elixir of Life' is definitely a perfect brew." She laughed and bounced out of the office, a dumbfounded Severus following behind.

* * *

HP Lexicon and Wikipotter don't have a great deal of information regarding the Elixir of Life. WP states that it is unknown what effect, other than long life, it has on the drinker; there is no information on whether it slows the aging process. No information was noted about its effect on the aging of the brain, so I used a spot of creative license. As well, I also decided that for the purposes of my story, magical folk get cancer and other age related infirmities.


End file.
